Two original scripts will have free staged readings this week in Salt Lake City and Orem.
"DISTANT MUSIC," a new play by Boston playwright James McLindon, will be featured on Thursday at 7 p.m. in the Ambassador Room of the Embassy Suites Hotel, 110 W. 600 South.
McLindon will attend the reading, hosted by Utah Contemporary Theatre, and will be followed by a question-and-answer period.
"THE QUEENS OF BIRDLAND: THE DIVA DIARIES," written by New York celebrity journalist Carl Arrington, is based on real-life stories told by superstars Madonna, Tina Turner, Mariah Carey, Patti Smith, Carly Simon and Chrissie Hynde.
The work-in-development, written in collaboration with Carl's brother, director-actor James Arrington, will have two staged readings on Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. in Utah Valley State College's Ragan Theater. No tickets are required, but seating is limited.
Carl Arrington is a former music editor for People Weekly Magazine and has written for Time, Rolling Stone, US Weekly and TV Guide over the past 30 years. Following each performance, the Arrington brothers and the actors will participate in an open forum with the audience.
The producers caution that the production may be inappropriate for children.
E-mail: ivan@desnews.com